Hiking Program

Purpose of the Program

This program invites the scouts to be more active in the outdoors, to learn more about the environment, practice “Leave No Trace,” and learn what type of wild animals and birds live in their local area.

A scout earns one mile credit for every mile hiked. The goal is for your child to have fun while hiking To enhance this experience, they will be able to earn the symbol of the Hiking Program, the Hiking Stave or Stick as well as other rewards pertaining to his participation and milestones.

The hiking program runs year round and will consist of monthly hikes. Most hikes will be within an hour’s drive. The hikes are about 1 to 4 miles each (1 ½ to 2 ½ hrs).  They will be appropriate for all ranks from Lions to Webelos. 

All scouts, families and siblings of Pack 314 are welcome to participate. Besides the fun of getting outdoors for a little fresh air and exercise with family and friends, many locations will include an educational component such as a museum, or homestead.

Den Level Hike

Dens can organize and go on den-level hikes that counts towards their miles so long as 2-deep leadership is maintained, and the other Hiking Program rules are followed.  The Hiking Program Committee leader will review Den-level hikes prior to the den-level hiking event to ensure that the den-level hiking events are in the sprint of the Hiking Program.

Hiking Rules

• Annual Health Record on file with Den Leader.    BSA Health and Medical Record

• Hike lengths range 1 – 4 miles.

• Scouts are required to have a parent-guardian on the hike with them at all times. 

• All hikes will depart from the meeting location as scheduled. 

• Scouts should wear a class B shirts. This can be the official Pack 314 t-shirt, or a t-shirt from a District or Council event.  

• Scouts should wear a hat. Hats provide protection from the weather. (Rank hats are optional.)

• Wear comfortable shoes, preferably hiking shoes with appropriate socks. 

• Scouts will be responsible for carrying their own gear – so keep it light! 

• Bring water. And it is also smart to pack some sort of trail snack. 

• Insect repellant! 

• Bring an emergency/safety whistle to use should you get lost.

• Siblings may participate. It is up to the parent-guardian to decide if younger children can maintain a consistent pace and are capable of hiking the designated distance. Only scouts will receive hiking awards.   If siblings participate the parent should hike as well. 

• An adult leader is assigned to the “tail” position. No one is allowed behind this individual. The Pack hikes as a unit. We start together, break together, etc., with everyone following the same trail. We may allow an older Scout to “Lead”.  

• All mileage that is earned must be recorded by the hike leader to receive credit. It is the scout’s responsibility to sign-in at each event.

• Awards received for “Miles Hiked” will be awarded at Pack meetings.

• No dogs allowed on pack hikes.

District Hikes

On the first Sunday of every month, the North Star District’s very own Dan Gorski leads a District hike, open to all Scouts and their families. The location changes each month, as does the degree of difficulty and the distance of the hike, but they all begin at 2pm. The current hike plan is listed below. 

Download the full schedule:  North Star District Hiking Schedule 2023-2024